Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is launching a process technician certification program with industry partners. (Photo courtesy of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges)
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges has launched a new program in partnership with private companies to bolster workforce pipelines and give students a fast path to skilled employment.
The community college system announced in a news release this week nine students will start classes next week in the first cohort of the process technician certification program, housed at the DeWitt Career Advancement Center.
The non-credit certificate will take nine months to complete, with students participating in both instruction and hands-on training to learn about process equipment and instrumentation, applied chemistry, workplace safety and more.
Leallen Ehlers, engineering technology business development and training specialist at EICC, said in the release that the program, and the collaborative work he conducted with staff at companies ADM, 3M and LyondellBasell, will hopefully meet the needs of local industries and employ students close by.
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“Many of these students might have left the area for work, but this program gives them the skills and opportunity to stay here, build careers, and contribute to the strength of our local economy,” Ehlers said in the release.
Each of the students in the program’s first cohort received a $3,500 scholarship and were offered guaranteed interviews for jobs with the partnering companies after graduation, according to the release.
Ehlers said in the release planning for the program began after the college system heard concerns from local businesses about the lack of trained process technicians, and the curriculum has been crafted to meet industry demands and “serve as a model for future training.”
Jobs students who complete the program will qualify for include process technician, manufacturing technologist and quality control specialist, the release stated, positions that people usually need as many as seven years of manufacturing experience to qualify for.
According to the release, students ready to start classes next week were drawn to the program because of its quick timeline, industry connections and path to a stable, rewarding career.
“It’s really exciting,” said 18-year-old Shyanna Bogle, a Camanche resident included in the first program cohort. “I thought it would be great to learn more about this industry and have a positive impact in the community.”
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